hope they were alive: And at laft he leaves Clement under Guardians, and goes himself to Sea, to fee if he could meet with any Tidings about them. Since which time, for twenty Years together, even he had never been heard of; and fo Clement concluded they were all perish'd long a go. Peter cannot forbear weeping at this fad Story. But being a little after defir'd to go to the neighbouring Ifle of Aradus, to fee fome wonder ful Columns of the Vine-Tree, he goes; but not being much affected with any Sights there, he ob ferves a poor Woman begging; who on telling her Story proves to be Matthidia, Clement's Mother, Peter, with his Company, goes by Balanea, Pal tos, and Gabala, to Laodicea, where meeting with Niceta and Aquila, they discover'd Clement's Mother to be theirs alfo, where affoon as she is baptiz'd she is permitted to eat and live with them, but not before. Peter fhews how her Chastity had procur'd thefe bleffings from God upon her; that Fafting is to precede Baptifm; that the Commands of God are not to be fet afide out of any humane regard whatfoever; and that Temptations are to be carefully avoided. And thus ends the Seventh Book.

In the Eighth, an old Man watches Peter and his Followers, as they retire for Devotion. Whereupon he pities them, and undertakes to fhew them, that all Devotion and Religion was in vain; and that the Configuration of the Heavens at every ones Geniture, determin'd all the Accidents of their Lives. Peter is, willing to dif courfe with him upon that and the like Subjects. The old Man affirms there is no Providence, and that the Aftrological Scheme over-rules all. Niceta defires leave to difcourfe with the old Man, and that Peter would referve himself to

be

be à Moderator, to put a final end to the Debates. He is allow'd to begin the Difputation; which he does with an account of the Conftitu tion of the World. He fhews that the World was once made, and is govern'd by the Divine Power and Providence; and that the Principles of which it is made necessarily imply the fame: He argues against the Atomical Philofophy of Epicurus; and against the mistaken application of Nature, as the Origin of Things: He argues for a Providence from the Stars, the Winds, the Rains, the Rivers, the Sea, the Plants, the Animals, the Spirit which invigorates the Waters in Vegetation, and the Wonders in the Bodies of Men and Women; Why the World was made fo lately; and that the fecret Reasons of many things are conceal'd from us. The next day Peter having defir'd Aquila and Clement to exercise their Abilities alfo in order to do good, the old Man briefly denies that the World was made, or is govern'd by Providence, because still many things that look very regular have no rational Caufe; because many things happen without any Order or Juftice in the World; and because the Stars govern all; as he affirms to be true by his own Experience. He inftances particularly in the Rainbow, and afterwards in Leaves, and fome Animals, as looking very regular, yet made without Reafon or Defign. To this Difcourfe Aquila anfwers at large; that the Rainbow in its Model was made by Reafon and Design; that the regularity of fome things more certainly proves a rational Agent, than the irregularity of others proves the contrary; fince both Order and feeming Disorder can proceed from a Rational Being, but Order can never proceed from a Eeing deftitute of Reason. The

general

general Order of the World: the occafions, of the Disorders thereof, are from the Sins of Men: the Reafon of fuffering both Good and Bad to partake of the fame common Calamities: God has forbidden thofe Sins that occafion the Miferies of the World: He once punish'd the Wickednefs of Mankind by the Flood; yet has refolv'd not to do fo again, but to leave Men to their freedom; putting the Good under the Government of a good Being, and the Bad of a bad Being, till the day of Judgment: There is accordingly an oppofition or division of Things and of Events, one fet against another, for the continual and exact probation and diftinction of Men: Regularity certainly proves a Providence, but Irregularity does not certainly refute it: The Power of Damons: The Origin of Evil: The general Rule of good Actions towards others. The old Man owns this Difcourfe to be strong; but pleads his own contrary Experience, as to the over-ruling power of the Stars. Clement undertakes to treat of that the next day. Peter wonders at the wild reafonings of Men; and fhews the advantage of recourfe to the True Prophet, who is prefent with all Men, but active only in the Good; and exhorts Men to lay afide their vain reafonings, and to go upon the exact Enquiry after the True Prophet by certain Marks; and when he is found, to acquiefce in his infallible Determinations; but that he is only to be discover'd by well difpos'd Minds. After this Peter difmiffes the Company. And fo ends the Eighth Book.

In the Ninth Book Peter confirms what he had faid about the True Prophet; which exceedingly moves the old Man; fo that he owns any farther Difputation from human Reafon almot un

neceffary.

neceffary. However, Clement, as was promis'd,' enters upon his Difcourse against Aftrology. He begins with explaining the two Worlds that are to fucceed one another; that the Marriage of the Son of God is reserv'd for the Second; and that the Souls of good Men are preferv'd fafe in a peculiar Place against that time. He enquires why the Devil was made, and this State of difficulty ordain'd; how the prefent irregular Scene is neceflary for fuch a State of Trial and Probation; how the Damons take advantage from the Luxury of Men to infinuate themselves into them, and fo corrupt them and their Offspring: The occafion of sin, and its prevention: Aftrologers are ignorant of these things, and deceive Mankind: The fear of Punishment fufficient to reftrain the Appetites. The old Man owns this to be well reafon'd, yet cannot be driven from his aftral Fatality; chiefly as confirm'd by his own Experience. In anfwer to this, Clement argues largely against Aftrology: He fhews, that the Laws of different Nations prevail upon Men, and not the Schemes at their Nativity, by an induction of Inftances in all parts of the World: and that this Scheme is intirely contrary to the Juftice of God, which can never be fuppos'd to allow a fatal neceffity of forcing Men to fin, and yet to punish them for finning afterward. That our Errors arife, from ill Cuftoms, from our na tural Appetites, or from evil Spirits; every one of which Occafions 'tis in our power to overcome. The old Man has nothing to fay, but bis own Experience, as to his. Wife and Children which he at laft infifts on. He declares his Wife's Scheme, and how the prov'd an Adulterefs, and ran away with her Servant, and thereby perish'd in the Sea: all which circumstances

were

were exactly agreeable to her Geniture. Clement then defires to know how he was affur'd fhe was an Adulterefs, ran away with her Servant, and for perish'd? The old Man owns he is not abfolately certain of any part of it; but tells the Story of his Family, whence he collected that it was fo. Clement perceiv'd by that Story it was very probable he was his Father Fauftinianus. Peter ftops that difcovery for a while, and defires the old Man to fay whether he will give up his aftrological Scheme in case he can restore to him his Wife ftill chafte, and those Children which he thought were perished according to that Scheme: This he tacitly agreeing to, Peter opens the whole Scene, and difcovers the intire Series of Events, and all the Relations own or Recognize one another, with great joy; (whence thefe Books are stil'd the Recognitions) and declare their feveral Fortunes to One another. Upon this Peter is invited by the Mafter of the House to lodg with him; which he is not willing to confent to; till a Daughter of the Family, who had been poffefs'd with a Daon from feven Years old, comes in cured, and begs of him to do fo. Upon which he acquiefces. And thus ends the Ninth Book.

In the Tenth, Peter, Clement, Niceta, and Aquila, go in the Morning to fee Fauftinianus and Matthidia; but finding them asleep, Peter cautions the reft not to be importunate with their Father to be baptized too foon; but to afford bim time to be fully fatisfy'd in his Doubts, and inftructed in Chriftianity before his Baptifm. They do not contradict, but are afraid he should die unbaptiz'd. To which Peter anfwers very cautiously. The old Man raifes a doubt about the real difference of Good and Evil. Clement anfwers b

him,